Bombardier to Start Building New Army HADES Prototype Spy Plane

January 11, 2024

Bombardier has been tasked with delivering a HADES prototype Bombardier Global 6500 jet to the U.S. Army by Oct. 1, 2024. (Image: U.S. Army)

Bombardier Defense has received a new contract award to develop a prototype spy plane for the Army’s High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program. Under the contract, the Army has procured one Global 6500 jet with options to purchase two additional aircraft over a three-year period.

These HADES prototypes will be the first U.S. Army-owned large-cabin business jets utilized for Aerial Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platforms, and will provide advanced deep-sensing capabilities for use in multidomain operations against peer and near-peer adversaries. The delivery date for the first aircraft is Oct. 1, 2024.

“HADES will bring the Army increased range, speed, endurance and aerial ISR depth,” said Col. Joe S. Minor, Project Manager for Army fixed-wing aircraft. “HADES will operate at higher altitudes than legacy turboprop platforms. Higher altitudes equate to an ability to sense farther and more persistently into areas of interest. Deep sensing is the Army’s number-one operational imperative for the Army of 2030.”

In preparation for the HADES program of record, the Army began purchasing aerial ISR as a service in the form of aerial technology demonstrators from defense industry vendors in 2020. The ATDs are providing data about platform performance, sensor integration, sensor performance and data distribution to both the Army and the joint force. The ATDs also allow the Army to better understand the doctrine, training, personnel, facilities and sustainment required to employ these more capable sensors and aircraft that HADES will provide.

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